Why Cats Should leave Rings to Genies
by Detrea
Summary: A Dark Cloud Fanfic! It takes place, like, right after you get Ruby in Queens. Xiao is on her own in the shipwreck, testing her latest project...


Why Cats Should Leave Rings to Genies

The rotting wood slightly muffles the running footsteps of the girl as she escapes her foe. The narrow hallway doesn't give her much dodging room, but her opponent has not followed, much to her relief.

"Thank goodness," Xiao breathes to herself "but master will not be pleased if he finds out-"

A loud blast from the decayed pillar beside her knocks her to the ground and alerts her that the enemy had not truly given up.

"Oh…" she looks around anxiously trying to find an escape route. Her feline ears perk up as she hears winding gears. "Oh, the thrasher thing! That will do!" She pulls herself up and starts running again. Hearing a small boom behind her, she swerves to the left, jumping up on a pillar to avoid a blast to the back. She leaps back and forth, weaving through the passage before she finally reaches the spinning blades of an obstacle sure to stop her pursuer. She jumps, lands in the one safe point in the middle, jumps again and --

Boom.

A direct hit sends her flying, and she lands, face first, skidding along for a good distance before coming to a stop.

"Ow…" she can barely groan in her current state. "At least it can't get to me any -"

Boom!

"Try it, it will not work! Until I get up and provide a target, at least…" She looks up to see another blast fire above her, hitting the wall across from her. A third blast, a forth… and, suddenly, the wall gives way. She can see a room, vacant of life but containing a small spring and a large, oversized chest.

"It's about time I found a spring…" the feline girl crawls slowly to the room, ducking her head at every blast. Left hand, pull. Right hand, pull. Left hand, pull. Right hand, pull.

After a short passage of time, she is in the room and can reach the spring to refresh herself. Back to her healthful, chipper self, she eyes the chest suspiciously.

"I'll just use whatever is in there." She steps up to the chest, her hand on the latch. "Just as long as it isn't that damn clown…"

Boom! This time, no foe caused the explosion. "I -H A T E- checking for traps every time!" She glares at the chest as though it would respond with guilt or some form of remorse for having committed so heinous an act. It just sits there, completely unashamed, looking for all the world proud of what it has done. She sighs lightly as she picks herself up and releases the small latch on the side of the chest. It clicks faintly, and the lid shifts. She slowly opens it and the shining treasure greets her wide, expectant eyes.

A platinum ring.

"Oh, damn…" She picks it up and shrugs. "At least it looks pretty. She slips it on her wrist and steps a few feet away from the chest. "Maybe I can just…" She points her finger at the chest and concentrates, focusing her thoughts on the element of ice. She feels a small jolt in her hand as a small ball of energy shoots forth, assaulting the chest.

"Pretty…"

She turns to look behind her back, staring at the blasted-open portal from whence she came. "Well, it's now or never."

She dashes out to see that the possessed cannon has not given up. She looks around and notices the many nets and cables running from any given point to every point visible. Dodging back and forth, she points her hand upward as she makes her leap across the obstacle. She lands perfectly once again and the roof begins to cave from the force of the blast. She lands on the other side and rushes past the distracted monster, fleeing for the hook that would be her true means of retreat. She turns the corner and keeps going, only stopping as she reaches the massive hook.

"It is about time…"

She looks behind her and waves lightheartedly before she --

It turns the corner.

"You bastard. I buried you." She looks to the bangle on her wrist and grins. "I'll just have to finish you off…"

She raises her hands above her head and feels the energy build above her. She holds it, feeling it grow stronger and stronger…

The cannon fires, but she can tell it will miss and her grin goes wider. She builds it stronger and stronger, it comes closer and closer, and shoots right --

Above her. It's blast meets her built up energy and continues on it's way, taking her intended discharge with it. She can hear a peal of thunderous noise behind her, and then a loud thud.

She turns and gapes in horror as the lower half of the hook lays on the ground.

She falls to the ground, her eyes tearing. Her head turns slowly, and she prepares herself for the doom to be.

A figure jumps out from the corner. A blade swings down, and the cannon falls to pieces. The girl gets up, wiping away her tears as confusion replaces fear.

"…Goro?"

The large young man walks forward with a wide grin as his companions walk into view.

She runs down the hallway, new tears streaming her face.

"Master!" She leaps and latches onto the boy in childish kitten glee.

"Hey, dear, are you okay? Toan's been looking for you for a while now." Ruby holds up a small slingshot. "We thought you might want this."

The girl detaches an arm for a split second to swipe the tool away from the mystic woman. In that short time, Ruby notices something.

"Hey, that looks familiar…" She looks down to her wrist. "That's the same as what Jack gave me! Toan! We're going back to Queens so I can have some words with that weapons-_monger_!…"

"But we've only found one of the monsters!" Goro looks distraught.

"I dealt with them, it is all well." Xiao cuddles against Toan.

"Without your slingshot?" Ruby raises her eyebrow incredulously.

"I just lost it against the one…" She tightens her grip on the weapon.

"You shouldn't have performed status breaks on all your weapons trying to make a super wooden slingshot." Ruby waves her finger in a minor reprimand.

"I just want to go home."

Toan nods, and with his psychic bond with the Great Fairy, transports the group back to town.


End file.
